After their Sunday church services ended, the crowds began to arrive. Folks entered Carthage High School through a standing salute by veterans who came from across the state. Tearful friends embraced, and a series of photographs beamed onto the auditorium's wide screen told the story of James D. Gudridge's life.

Sunday, the North Country community of Carthage said goodbye to 20-year-old "Jimmy" Gudridge, a U.S. Army serviceman who was killed Jan. 6 in Iraq.

"It's really been an outpouring, " said Jerry Hoffman, the stepfather. "People we don't even know have been coming to shake our hands... We're proud of Jimmy, and we're proud of this town."

Sunday's event capped an emotional week for this Jefferson County community, where one in four students hails from a military family. Saturday, thousands turned out in tribute as a motorcade escorted Gudridge's body from nearby Fort Drum to the funeral home. Officials decided to hold Sunday's memorial at the high school. They knew they'd need a large facility.

"I can't remember anything like this, " said Carthage School Board President John Peck, 60, who in 2005 presented Gudridge with his diploma. "To have the community lining the streets, lining the roadways... I mean, everyone just came together."

After the memorial, the family buried Jimmy Gudridge at Beaches Bridge Cemetery in the town of Watson, where his mom and dad grew up. His grave is near that of Marine Corporal Kelly Matthew Cannan, a Lowville native who was killed in Iraq on April 20, 2005.

"I have a pretty good idea what they're going through, " said Cannan's mother, Dianne Cannan, who came to give support. "It's a difficult time. You never really get over it. You just get through it."

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